# uw
## Dutch
### Etymology

From Middle Dutch uwe, from Old Dutch *iuwa, from Proto-West Germanic *iuwar, from Proto-Germanic *izweraz. Doublet of jouw.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /yu̯/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: uw
* Rhymes: -yu̯

### Determiner

uw (dependent possessive, independent possessive uwe)
* Second-person singular and plural; your

#### Usage notes

In standard Dutch this is the polite form of jouw. However, in Flanders it is commonly used as both formal and informal. The word jouw is not commonly used in Flanders. Uw may merge with u in some dialects and sociolects.

#### Declension

| | subject | subject | object | object | possessive | possessive | possessive | reflexive | genitive$^5$ |
| singular | full | unstr. | full | unstr. | full | unstr. | pred. | | |
| 1st person | ik | 'k$^1$ | mij | me | mijn | m'n$^1$ | mijne | me | mijner, mijns |
| 2nd person | jij | je | jou | je | jouw | je | jouwe | je | jouwer, jouws |
| 2nd person archaic or regiolectal | gij | ge | u | – | uw | – | uwe | u | uwer, uws |
| 2nd person formal | u | – | u | – | uw | – | uwe | u, zich$^7$ | uwer, uws |
| 3rd person masculine | hij | ie$^1$ | hem | 'm$^1$ | zijn | z'n$^1$ | zijne | zich | zijner, zijns |
| 3rd person feminine | zij | ze | haar | h'r$^1$, 'r$^1$, d'r$^1$ | haar | h'r$^1$, 'r$^1$, d'r$^1$ | hare | zich | harer, haars |
| 3rd person neuter | het | 't$^1$ | het | 't$^1$ | zijn | z'n$^1$ | zijne | zich | zijner, zijns |
| plural | | | | | | | | | |
| 1st person | wij | we | ons | – | ons, onze$^2$ | – | onze | ons | onzer, onzes |
| 2nd person | jullie | je | jullie | je | jullie | je | – | je | – |
| 2nd person archaic or regiolectal$^6$ | gij | ge | u | – | uw | – | uwe | u | uwer, uws |
| 2nd person formal | u | – | u | – | uw | – | uwe | u, zich$^7$ | uwer, uws |
| 3rd person | zij | ze | hen$^3$, hun$^4$ | ze | hun | – | hunne | zich | hunner, huns |
| $^{1)}$ Not as common in written language. $^{2)}$ Inflected as an adjective. $^{3)}$ In prescriptivist use, used only as direct object (accusative). $^{4)}$ In prescriptivist use, used only as indirect object (dative). $^{5)}$ Archaic. Nowadays used for formal, literary or poetic purposes, and in fixed expressions. $^{6)}$ To differentiate from the singular gij, gelle (object form elle) and variants are commonly used colloquially in Belgium. Archaic forms are gijlieden and gijlui ("you people"). | $^{1)}$ Not as common in written language. $^{2)}$ Inflected as an adjective. $^{3)}$ In prescriptivist use, used only as direct object (accusative). $^{4)}$ In prescriptivist use, used only as indirect object (dative). $^{5)}$ Archaic. Nowadays used for formal, literary or poetic purposes, and in fixed expressions. $^{6)}$ To differentiate from the singular gij, gelle (object form elle) and variants are commonly used colloquially in Belgium. Archaic forms are gijlieden and gijlui ("you people"). | $^{1)}$ Not as common in written language. $^{2)}$ Inflected as an adjective. $^{3)}$ In prescriptivist use, used only as direct object (accusative). $^{4)}$ In prescriptivist use, used only as indirect object (dative). $^{5)}$ Archaic. Nowadays used for formal, literary or poetic purposes, and in fixed expressions. $^{6)}$ To differentiate from the singular gij, gelle (object form elle) and variants are commonly used colloquially in Belgium. Archaic forms are gijlieden and gijlui ("you people"). | $^{1)}$ Not as common in written language. $^{2)}$ Inflected as an adjective. $^{3)}$ In prescriptivist use, used only as direct object (accusative). $^{4)}$ In prescriptivist use, used only as indirect object (dative). $^{5)}$ Archaic. Nowadays used for formal, literary or poetic purposes, and in fixed expressions. $^{6)}$ To differentiate from the singular gij, gelle (object form elle) and variants are commonly used colloquially in Belgium. Archaic forms are gijlieden and gijlui ("you people"). | $^{7)}$ Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.' | $^{7)}$ Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.' | $^{7)}$ Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.' | $^{7)}$ Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.' | $^{7)}$ Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.' | $^{7)}$ Zich is preferred if the reflexive pronoun immediately follows the subject pronoun u, e.g. Meldt u zich aan! 'Log in!', and if the subject pronoun u is used with a verb form that is identical with the third person singular but different from the informal second person singular, e.g. U heeft zich aangemeld. 'You have logged in.' Only u can be used in an imperative if the subject pronoun is not overt, e.g. Meld u aan! 'Log in!', where u is the reflexive pronoun. Otherwise, both u and zich are equally possible, e.g. U meldt u/zich aan. 'You log in.' |

#### Alternative forms

* a (Brabant)

### See also

* Uw